


The Game Has Changed

by sonofapollo



Series: the game has changed [1]
Category: Tron (Movies), Tron - All Media Types, Tron: Uprising, 富豪刑事 Balance:UNLIMITED | Fugou Keiji: Balance:Unlimited (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Tron, Comfort, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Enemies to Friends, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, OOC, Out of Character, Post-Tron: Legacy, Self-Indulgent, i know like only 2 ppl might read it but i needed a daiharu tron au, im so sorry for writing this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:22:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25176850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sonofapollo/pseuds/sonofapollo
Summary: Haru disliked Daisuke from the moment he saw him all because of his past, but after being partnered together, he realizes that there’s a lot more to him than his mistakes.(DaiHaru Tron!AU)
Relationships: Kambe Daisuke/Katou Haru
Series: the game has changed [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850761
Comments: 7
Kudos: 19





	The Game Has Changed

**Author's Note:**

> this is was so self-indulgent im so sorry
> 
> im also sorry that i had to write an AU abt a completely dead franchise that i’ve been sadly hyperfixated on for years now. 
> 
> i tried to epxlain a lot of the terminology of the tron universe throughout the fic but i couldn’t get a lot of things across so here’s a few things to know:  
>  **programs:** electronic beings created by users that inhabit the digital worlds of tron aka the grid.  
>  **users:** a human being that operates a computer in the real world.  
>  **the grid:** a vast part of the tron system, created by kevin flynn.  
>  **cycles:** how time is perceived inside the grid, and runs at a faster pace than time in the real world.  
>  **sam flynn:** son of kevin flynn and the one responsible for the derezeration of clu.  
>  **derezeration/derezz:** erasing or killing a program.  
>  **clu:** an artificial intelligence program created by kevin flynn that was supposed to create the "perfect system" until he became twisted and began purging programs that didn't meet his expecations, ultimately becoming a dictator to the grid.  
>  **tron:** a security computer program who fights for the users and is protector of the programs on the grid.  
>  **sentry/sentry army:** modified security programs tasked with keeping order on the grid who usually wear a black garb/suit with red/orange circuitry.
> 
> that's all the info i can give and clarify for now, but if there are still any doubts after reading this, pls check out the tron wiki which is where i got this info from!
> 
> [Tron Wiki](https://tron.fandom.com/wiki/Tron_Wiki)
> 
> (title is also from the tron: legacy soundtrack by daft punk!)

Daisuke and Haru sat on the edge of one of the abandoned buildings of Tron City. The area was bustling with programs, jumping from club to club and landing on the main event of the night the End of Line Club. After all, one of the best battles before Clu’s deresolution occurred there. If it wasn’t a famous club before, it was now. 

Haru was still in his work uniform, while Daisuke was in his regular suit, the orange and yellow lines of his programming clashing with the blues and whites of the city and of Haru’s own lightlines. 

Haru didn’t know how the two of them had ended up working together. He thinks it might’ve been a part of the way Sam Flynn had programmed Tron when he had begun rebuilding the Grid and fixing what had been destroyed during his fight with Clu and his Sentry Army. 

Tron had wanted programs to be able to get along with other programs, even the repurposed ones who were in a part of the Occupation. Haru had no doubt the idea has led to many fights amongst programs, but he hates to admit that it seemed to be working rather well. Though, there were only a handful of programs who kept the menacing yellow and orange lightlines. Like Daisuke. 

It unnerved Haru. 

The first time he’d walked into Tron Tower looking for a job as a guard, as he was programmed for it, everyone looked at him in shock, and some in a sort of fear. Haru understood why considering everything Clu and his army of brainwashed programs did to everyone on the Grid. Not to mention the ISOs, programs that suddenly appeared in the Grid, who the Grid made itself and weren’t programmed by a User or Kevin Flynn himself. It was normal to react that way towards someone who kept the Sentry uniform. 

Tron welcomed him openly and with no discrimination. As a part of his team, Haru was expected to do the same, but he couldn’t find it in himself to even respect the other program. How could he walk in there looking like that and around the very program he was repurposed to destroy? It was disrespectful, and Haru didn’t appreciate it. 

It may seem wrong on his part, but as someone who had been fighting with the Resistance against the Occupation and Clu almost his entire life, and was now able to fight side by side with the protector of the Grid himself, he found it absolutely unjust for them to welcome someone who stood for everything they were against into their circle. 

But maybe he was just being too harsh and too biased. (After all, Tron had been repurposed into the Rinzler, Clu’s killing machine in the Games, once.) 

Either way, he found it blasphemous to wear those colors on his lightlines after everything that’s happened. 

Haru couldn’t act by his own emotions, though. He still had a position and image to uphold as one of Tron’s closest soldiers. So, he settled for glaring at Daisuke and throwing around some jabs at him here and there. 

It seemed, though, that Tron had caught on, and decided to partner them together, much to Haru’s luck. 

Their first mission together didn’t go smoothly. Haru refused to hear out Daisuke or listen to his suggestions despite being as properly trained and knowledgeable as he was, and how skilled he was of a fighter. Until it almost ended in the derezeration of some ISOs that were beginning to reappear in the Grid. After that scare and Tron’s scolding, Haru decided that maybe it was time to at least try and get along with the other program. 

It took a while, but Haru grew fond of Daisuke after many cycles. He didn’t want to admit it, but it was true. He also didn’t want to admit that sometimes looking at Daisuke and interacting with him made his circuits go a little haywire. 

But he would always try to ignore that.

Now, here they were. Just two programs sharing some alone time together as they watched the liveliness that was Tron City, one of the liveliest sectors of the Grid. A small smile made its way onto Haru’s face as he watched a group of programs laughing as they seemed to tease one of the programs amongst them. It reminded him of his days as a younger program, not having to worry about the Occupation, Clu, getting derezzed in the Games, and a revolution.

Daisuke finally sat down at his side, his legs swinging over the edge. He let out a sigh as he looked around. Haru glanced at him. “Were you ever once like that?” He asked, nodding over to the programs that bustled around the street. Daisuke looked over at them, with a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Yeah, at one point.” 

“Before or after?” 

“Before or after what?” 

“Becoming a part of the Occupation.” 

Daisuke visibly winced, but Haru decided to ignore it. If it was a touchy subject to talk about, he should’ve changed his lightlines. “Before...” 

“I see...So, what made you decide to join?” 

It was a question that Haru had always wanted to ask him, but never seemed to find the right moment to do so. Now that they were having this conversation, Haru’s curiosity could finally be answered. 

Daisuke stayed quiet for a moment. 

“It seemed right at the time,” he said after a few millicycles. “It wasn’t until the revolution started that I realized...it wasn’t the right choice.” 

Haru stared at him, trying to make sense of how he thought that was the right choice to make. But Daisuke answered his question without him having to ask it. 

“I lived in Purgos.” Haru pursed his lips, giving him a nod of understanding. Purgos was one of the least secure districts. Riddled with criminals, gangs, and illegal activity, like the art of erasing discs and forging them. Now, it was different, but back then...It wasn’t the kind of place anyone would go for a friendly visit. 

“I didn’t agree with the ideals everyone had there. My friends made a living derezzing other programs and sold their discs.” 

Haru’s eyes went wide at the confession. 

“And so...you thought that by joining the Occupation they would—“

“Cleanse the area? Yeah. And they did. Just not in the way I expected them to.” 

Haru breathed in deeply and nodded, looking back at the cityscape. “I don’t agree with whatever past ideals you had...But I can try and understand why you did it with what you’re telling me.” 

Daisuke let out a chuckle, pulling up one of his legs up to his chest and resting his arm over his knee. “What are you laughing at?” Haru asked with a raised eyebrow. “Nothing. You’re just being more tolerable than before.” 

A heat that Haru was sure wasn’t his processors overheating made its way onto his cheeks. “Whatever,” he muttered, earning a laugh from Daisuke. 

Silence then followed, leaving Haru to think. He could somehow understand Daisuke’s thought process when he was a younger program with no good role models in sight. He was surrounded by criminality and the only thing that seemed more stable was Clu’s ideals of perfection and his regal army. Now, Haru felt like he knew Daisuke a bit more. 

“What was your programming before, y’know?” He asked, looking back over Daisuke once more. The raven haired program turned to him. “I was programmed to be a mechanic. But we can see how that worked out.” 

Haru let out a chuckle and nodded, turning away. “I was programmed to be a medic. But I guess I exceeded my programming.” 

“I can see that.” 

The taupe-haired program gave him a small smile. “Thanks...One last question, though.” 

“Shoot.” 

“Why did you keep your circuitry the same?” 

He watched as Daisuke took in a deep breath and let out an equally long and deep sigh. He didn’t look at him as he said, “As a reminder. It’s to remind myself of what I’ve done.” 

Haru stared at him for a moment, repeating his words in his head. He felt a sort of pity for the program now. Tron had faced a similar situation. He would keep his mask on at all times, ashamed to even show his face. Eventually, he began showing it more often until he was finally able to heal from his own past. Haru wondered if it was going to be the same for Daisuke or if he was always going to wear those colors until the end. 

He slowly placed his hand on Daisuke’s shoulder, patting it. The program startled, looking over at him, but Haru didn’t meet his eyes. “Don’t beat yourself over it so much, okay? You’re working with Tron now. You’re working with us. There’s no Clu, no Occupation, no Sentry Army, no one to tell you who to arrest, detain, or derezz next.

I know what you mean, and I respect your decision. I just hope you heal and realize that you’re doing the right thing now and that’s all that matters. Your mistakes don’t define you.” 

Daisuke stared at him in shock before slowly smiling, giving him a nod. “Thanks, Haru...” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

Haru pulled his hand away. The two of them continued to look over the city until a program yelled over at them from the street. 

“Hey, lover-programs!” Haru immediately began sputtering. “W-What? L-Lover—? _Me and him_?” Meanwhile, Daisuke laughed so heartily, it was almost strange, considering how quiet he was.

Haru looked down at whoever shouted at them, realizing it was one of their coworkers, Saeki, her circuitry glowing a bright white with pink accents. She, too, laughed at Haru’s reaction.

“Come on down!” She yelled. “Me and the others are heading to the club!” 

Daisuke looked over at Haru. “What do you say?” 

Haru groaned, ignoring the heat on his cheeks and neck. “Yeah, sure, whatever.” He leapt off the building, Daisuke following behind. 

They followed Saeki as others from their team joined them, as they walked Haru took the time to reach for his disc and change into his regular suit. White lines and teal accents replaced the black line-less suit that usually covered him. He set his disc back, satisfied with how it clicked into place. He looked over to Daisuke who seemed to have been staring him. 

“What are you looking at?” 

“That suits you better.” He said and walked farther up front, getting caught up in the conversation between Saeki and Teppei, and leaving Haru stunned.

**Author's Note:**

> i sincerely thank everyone who's made it up to this point, seriously thank you for reading this! i'm sorry if it was a bit confusing, i really tried to clarify everything as much as i could throughout the writing, but it turned out to be difficult. i'm a huge fan of the tron franchise and i really wanted to write this au b/c im rewatching tron: uprising and i just really had to. i might write a second part to this, but i dont know yet. depends on the feedback i get on this. thanks again to everyone who's read this and im so sorry if it was confusing, i still hope you liked it!
> 
> here's the tron wiki link once more in case there's any more doubts! (and if there's any questions, i'll be happy to answer!)
> 
> [Tron Wiki](https://tron.fandom.com/wiki/Tron_Wiki)


End file.
